Kathleen J. Shields's Blog, page 4

Starlit’s Surprise

Starlit Troll had so much fun the day she met Hamilton and his friends that she decided to stay one more day. Hamilton comes up with a grand surprise for her that puts a huge smile on her face!  What can you do that might put a smile on someone’s face? Clean your room? Color a card? Or simply ask someone how their day was?

www.kathleensbooks.com/product/hamilton-troll-meets-starlit-troll

The post Starlit’s Surprise appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

Awards Ceremony and a New Book Idea

Greetings everyone, I am back from Miami Florida with quite an experience to share.

Miami Book Festival

First, I attended the Miami Book Festival, and promptly located my book for sale with the rest of the award winners at the Readers Favorite booth. It was very nice to see someone else selling my book – for me!

It was also nice to know that the proceeds for all of the books sold went to help the Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Readers’ Favorite was able to donate over $2000 and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

Meet & Greet
Friday Night

 I then met quite a few brilliant authors at the festival and at the meet and greet that evening. I bought many children’s books, autographed of course, and cultivated some relationships. It was very nice.

The next day Sherri took me to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and boy, was I in for a real treat! I had no idea places like this still existed. (They probably do, I just don’t travel much.) It was like being transported back to olden times of royalty and renaissance era luxury. The house and museum were amazing and I was quite intrigued by the level of detail that went into every room and piece of furniture.

However, I had no idea what was in-store for me in the gardens. It was magical, massive and mesmerizing (to utilize a little childhood alliteration). It sits on 50 acres but the gardens consist of 10 acres of intricately manicured and cultivated garden broken up into many “rooms” or sections. There is an orchid area, a maze garden, dozens of fountains, sitting areas, isolated sections for introspection, a really neat ‘secret garden’ surrounding it is 40 acres of native forest and of course it overlooks the Atlantic Ocean within a lagoon. There were massive statues and intricate designs everywhere. It was more of a treat that the reason we traveled to Miami in the first place. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to go.

Pictures from the VizcayaPictures from the Readers Favorite Awards Ceremony

Finally, Saturday night was the Readers Favorite Awards Ceremony and Gala! I got to dress up all pretty and mingle with some of the best authors in the world. Receive an Olympic style silver medal placed around my neck and take tons of pictures. The whole event was fantastic.

This past year has been really eye-opening. From a story I wrote when I was ten years old. That story my father pressed me to do something with for decades. A story about doing good and helping others, has taken the world by storm. A near best seller on its debut day. Six book awards – so far. Many great five-star reviews. A possible movie deal. A second book in the works (after researching ideas for the screenplay I am writing) and a possible new “First” series of a Christian inspiration nature.

All I can truly say is thanks Dad! Thank you Sherri!!
And a great big thank you to God!

The post Awards Ceremony and a New Book Idea appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

Be a Good You and Let Them Through

The other day I was stuck in traffic, construction traffic, with no shoulders, no turn lanes and then came the train.  Cars were backed up as far as the eye could see and we waited… And waited.

Finally the train ended, the gates went up and the traffic started flowing – slowly.

As my side started forward I began noticing how the other side was still stopped, and as I got closer to the plug – I realized it was someone needing to make a left turn.

His side couldn’t pass him. My side wouldn’t let him through.  As I looked in my rearview mirror I saw so many cars behind me that I realized that guy and everyone behind him were going to be stuck there for a very long time.

In fact if anyone on my side needed to turn left we’d all be stuck….

So I stopped.

I let him turn left in front of me.

I probably really annoyed the person in the car behind me, I mean we had already waited a very long time and this was another delay….

But the way I see it, is: my side was delayed another five seconds… But his side was saved five minutes. I imagine many happy folks on the other side appreciative for what I did and I hope that maybe those put off by my deed on my side, eventually understood my actions and took it to heart. Maybe it touched their heart just enough that day to do the same for someone else down the road.

Maybe if we all took five seconds to do a nice thing, we all could have better days.

Generous acts and really good deeds,
Are exactly what our little world needs.
– me

The post Be a Good You and Let Them Through appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

DEAR Texas Radio Interview Part 9

Interviewed by DEAR TEXAS Radio:
Author Kathleen J. Shields tells all!

These past weeks I’ve posted clips from my radio interview from Wimberley Valley Radio 94.1 FM KWVH and their latest show DEAR Texas Radio. The last two questions, in my opinion, were the most important because they gave me a chance to inspire others. If you don’t listen to any of the other clips, DO listen to these, because no matter who you are, where you are in life or what your dreams are, these final words need to be heard.

Interviewer: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

https://www.kathleenjshields.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/13-advice-for-writers.mp3

Interviewer: Anything else you would like to add?

https://www.kathleenjshields.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/14-anything-else-blog-events-reviews.mp3

 

There will be more audio clips from this radio interview coming soon.Signup to Follow this author so you don’t miss anything new.

Or to listen to the entire 30 minute interview now click here: DEAR Texas Radio Show #7

The post DEAR Texas Radio Interview Part 9 appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

If kids aren’t supposed to take candy from strangers… can someone please explain Halloween?

[image error]Don’t take candy from strangers! Do parents still tell that to children? Do parents still teach their children about the dangers of drugs laced in candy or razor blades in chocolate? I remember those talks vividly. I remember mom saying, don’t ever eat an unwrapped piece of candy. Always have her check the candy first. That scare, over-night, removed the candied apples and popcorn balls from the Halloween bags. Heck even raisins were questionable since they weren’t wrapped in cellophane.

How sad is it that we live in a society where we can’t trust our neighbors, where strangers are dangers and children are never safe.

This Halloween, be safe, of course, but have fun. Let a child be a child for a little bit tonight and if you must go through their candy, as my mom did, and some of the chocolate just happened to be removed, admit it is the fee for taking them trick or Treating and the sweet-tooth in you begging to be fed.

The post If kids aren’t supposed to take candy from strangers… can someone please explain Halloween? appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

Butter your palms

Ever since we started creating this cookbook for children, I’ve been scouring recipe websites to gain inspiration and insight. I’m not taking recipes, that would be plagiarism, I’m trying to learn what I can because I’m normally not allowed in the kitchen.

When Carol wanted to do popcorn balls, I started researching what we were going to do. There were hundreds of recipes, all of them different. Some required ingredients I had never heard of. Some directions included boiling ingredients on a pot on the stove and taking the temperature with a candy thermometer – too hard for children – ours is MUCH easier. And there was one which had a trick that sounded so incredibly smart and insightful I just KNEW it had to be in the book… 

This recipe suggested using a plastic sandwich bag as a glove when pressing the gooey popcorn together into a ball. The whole idea was to keep the concoction from sticking to your fingers. Brilliant! NOT!!

I tried it.  I thought I was bringing something pure genius to Carol and she gave me the benefit of the doubt. As a mom she knew sometimes you needed to let your kids (even the adopted kids at heart) fail. I tried it and realized promptly that it definitely kept the popcorn from sticking to your hands and fingers… But it stuck to the bag big time! What a mess. I was so disappointed.

Then Carol said, butter your palms. Rub a small amount of butter on your hands and the ball won’t stick. Now THAT was genius and so incredibly fun and easy.

This is why she’s in charge of the recipes and I’m just a child tester. 

The post Butter your palms appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

My Thinking Cap – A Funny Poem

Anyone ever feel like this???

Oh my, oh my, what can I do?
I’m filling up with doubt.
My thinking cap must have a hole
‘Cause my thoughts keep coming out!

The other day I went upstairs,
…To get what?  I don’t know.
And as I stood there like a bump on a log
That hole began to grow.

Out came my memories of what to do
There went my thoughts away
And as I returned back down the stairs
Those memories stayed gone all day!

It wasn’t until night, at 2 am
When I awoke from a sound sleep
And yelled “A-ha!” at the top of my lungs
Which made my husband *!%* bleep.

The other day I was on the phone
Talking about my job
When suddenly I forgot the simplest word.
My brain must be a blob!

Because out it came my thoughts and plans
Right through my thinking caps hole
And I’ll be darned if I could find it.
I’m loosing all control!

So I decided I could fix this thing
Seal the hole by wearing a hat?
But as I stepped inside my closet
I simply forgot about that.

I think I may need rescuing
So I’m typing out this plan
Just incase I might forget again
You’ll remember. Yes you can.

I know I’m not a seamstress
So could you bring me needle and thread?
And maybe mend my thinking cap
To keep my thoughts inside my head.

My friend, I haven’t much time left
Since I’m missing so much brain.
And friend if things keep dripping out
I know I’ll go insane

So please hear my plea, and help me out
So this forgetfulness will end…

.

Uh, hey you said you wrote something…
But you never did press send.

Ugh!

The post My Thinking Cap – A Funny Poem appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

What makes a successful author?

The other day I met another children’s book author whose publisher suggested she talk with other successful children’s book authors to get an idea of what to do. She told me this because she wanted to talk to me.   I don’t know if she came to that decision after she saw my booth, or the way I communicated with others, or the number of books I had… either way, she decided that I was successful. Color me surprised.

Now granted I have 9 children’s books but how does that determine success?  Should I have stopped writing and publishing when the first book sold 350 instead of a million? I felt a second book would help propagate sales, all of the first sales and many new ones to buy both. Which worked. So I made a third book, now I was working on a series. That third book was more popular than the second, so I wrote a fourth because everyone kept asking when the next one was coming out. I’ve kept the series growing, watching the sales grow with each book, but I am still not at a million.

So if I have 8 books but not a million sales, the big publishing houses would consider me an utter failure. But I don’t feel like a failure. I don’t talk like a failure. I don’t go to a show every weekend promoting my series as a failure. I go because I want to succeed. I sell like a successful person because to be successful you have to feel successful. You grow, you smile, you push harder, you work longer and you keep at it, because if I didn’t, I would be a failure.

 

PS: I will be at the Texas Book Festival in Austin this Saturday. I am an award-winning author and will be at the Texas Association of Author’s table. Then, that evening I’ll be attending the celebration of authors dinner.  Maybe I am a success and didn’t even know it.

[image error]

The post What makes a successful author? appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

The Flower that couldn’t be seen….

[image error]A friend of mine was stuck in traffic one day when he just happened to look over to the side of the road and see a flowering plant (some may call it a weed – but we’ll get into that in a moment).  This flowering plant was stuck in the bottom of the ditch and was stretching as tall as it could to get to the top of the ditch so it could be seen.  It was sad to think that no one could see its beauty, could enjoy its colorful flowers – so it stretched and grew and expanded it’s limbs as high as it could until just the tippy-top was visible from a car on the side of the road.

Imagine how hard it worked, how long it may have taken for it to reach that point, how many obstacles it may have had to over come to get here. We’ve all had to grow, to stretch our minds, our abilities, make our way over and around obstacles to get to where we are at.  Some of us may still be working our best to be seen and might not have made it yet.

Either way, all I can really say, is first, pay attention. See what is trying so desperately to be seen and be happy for it (or them).

Secondly, don’t call it a weed.  Just because it wasn’t supposed to be there doesn’t mean it should not be there. Not all actors are born in Hollywood, just because they aren’t from there doesn’t mean they don’t have a right to be there.

Now, I’m not against weed killer – don’t get me wrong – this is an analogy.  I personally can’t stand the weeds that have the thorns and stickers and choke out the good plants or leave their remnants in my dogs fur for me to cut out, but I do love the “weeds” that produce flowers and bring beauty into the world.

[image error]

I’ll leave you with one thought to ponder. I worked at a flower shop in New Braunfels for a while and learned that instead of baby’s breath (those little white flowers) to use as filler for a dozen red roses, they used something called Queen Anne’s Lace.  It is a gorgeous white lacy looking flower that really fills in a dozen roses nicely.  Do you know where it comes from? Well I’ve seen it growing in ditches along the corn fields of Ohio – they call it a weed.  Us Texans pay good money for their weed to make our flower arrangements pretty.  Just like someone may pay good money to read your book or give you a chance at the job you want.

The fact of the matter is, you need to reach for it!
…if you plan on being seen.

[image error]

The post The Flower that couldn’t be seen…. appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.

The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.

The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.
Robert Green IngersollDid you lose the game?Did you get passed up for the promotion?Did you receive another rejection letter?

[image error]If you were defeated in any category of life and stopped trying all together, you’ve failed the test of life.

If you fell off the horse, and didn’t get back on, you’ve lost heart.

You must keep trying, because that is what life is all about. Success doesn’t come to those who haven’t tried to succeed.  So study up – buck up and gather your courage, because you need to strengthen your heart for the greatest test of life.

And…

If you won the game.If you got the promotion.If you received an acceptance letter…Don’t stop studying!

The greatest test of life is a pop quiz that keeps popping up in life and you have to be ready for it. There will always be another game. There will always be another opportunity. There will always be another dream worth following.

So be courageous – bear defeat without losing heart – so you can proceed into life with all of the skills you need to pass the test!

[image error]

The post The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart. appeared first on Kathleen J. Shields.